Keith Ocampo: In the Groove of Giving Back

Giveback Homes member Keith Ocampo is a successful REALTOR® in the Bay Area of Northern California. He attributes his success in life to the discipline and training he received as a dancer, which helped him remember that patience is key in achieving your goals. Keith’s passion for helping others is fueled by his desire to give back in return for the opportunities he has been given. Read his story below.

How does dance along with Real Estate and giving back all work together, you ask? Well here are a few examples...

When I was 19, I was given my first teaching job. At that moment I knew that because of this job, I wanted to utilize my position to influence my students and help them realize that life is a dance. It goes beyond the studio and the stage. In the studio we teach you humility, order, courtesy, and the ability to work through anything without losing your cool.

As a teacher I have the chance to give something back to these students that will forever help mold the people they become and the influence they have to others.

Real Estate has always been something I was interested in. Most people see it as a fallback, or a family business, but I was always curious in the way people buy and sell homes. Learning to balance dance, school and venturing into Real Estate was something that could not be choreographed, so freestyling throughlife was what led me to realizing that I wanted to take my want to give back as far as I could take it.

I moved to L.A. where I was recruited by TOMS, and it blew my mind that someone could also take their passion to give back and use something so simple to do it. After being there a full year, I was given the chance to travel to El Salvador where we spent a week at different locations actually donating the shoes that were behind such a big movement. It was there that I met my sponsor child. Like so many of my students I saw my sponsor child as a vessel to be nourished and influenced to go out into the world and make it the best work possible. This trip forever changed my life.

At my third year with TOMS I knew I wanted to take this passion a little further but I wasn't sure how. So what would a dancer do? They would just go out and dance. So I left TOMS with no plans other than I knew that whatever I did next had to be something I was passionate about. During this time dance was always my foundation for inspiration. I became a member of the L.A. chapter of the non-profit organization Culture Shock. I was able to be part of a family that used dance education to help others. I directed one of the youth teams and I felt right at home. It was during that time that my partner and I went through our own home buying process and I was once again re-ignited with the desire to become an agent. After relocating from Los Angeles to San Jose I made the decision to move forward with my next move as an agent. Passed my test, joined an agency and began to mold the career I wanted.

Now, here is where it all comes full circle. A great friend of mine that I used to work with at TOMS also moved to Northern California and also had become and real estate agent.

Slowly but surely the universe was saying to me that I am doing the right things.

After a few dinner dates and catching up, she introduced me to Giveback Homes, and low and behold when I did my research I saw that the founders were two people that I had traveled to El Salvador with while we all worked at TOMS.

I knew things were on the right track. Being able to have the discipline and training as a dancer helped me be patient in achieving all these milestones and maintaining these relationships all while dancing through life. Having the chance to connect again with Blake and Caroline again all for the sake of giving back is an awesome confirmation that no matter what the show will always go on so just enjoy the dance. Thanks again for the chance to dance with my clients and give back to those in need.